diff --git a/src/rinterface_extra.c b/src/rinterface_extra.c
index be3af70742..6bf1148422 100644
--- a/src/rinterface_extra.c
+++ b/src/rinterface_extra.c
@@ -8657,7 +8657,16 @@ SEXP R_igraph_add_env(SEXP graph) {
     SET_CLASS(result, Rf_duplicate(GET_CLASS(graph)));
   }
 
-  SET_VECTOR_ELT(result, igraph_t_idx_env, Rf_allocSExp(ENVSXP));
+  // Get the base namespace
+  SEXP base_ns = PROTECT(R_FindNamespace(Rf_mkString("base"))); px++;
+  // Get the emptyenv function
+  SEXP empty_env_fun = PROTECT(Rf_findVarInFrame(base_ns, Rf_install("emptyenv"))); px++;
+  // Call emptyenv()
+  SEXP empty_env = PROTECT(Rf_eval(Rf_lang1(empty_env_fun), R_GlobalEnv)); px++;
+  // Evaluate the call
+  SEXP env = PROTECT(R_NewEnv(empty_env, 0, 0)); px++;
+
+  SET_VECTOR_ELT(result, igraph_t_idx_env, env);
 
   uuid_generate(my_id);
   uuid_unparse_lower(my_id, my_id_chr);